Michael’s Redress Design Award collection, ‘Cadet’, explores the aesthetic of the cadet uniform at West Point Military Academy, pondering the stark contrasts between times of war and peace. The collection applies heavy distressing and quilting techniques to create structure to denim fabrics and a pure silk vintage kimono brocade sourced from cut-and-sew waste and secondhand stores. Denim of similar weight and texture are gathered and cut into pieces, distressed with a saw, then layered. Michael eliminates waste by using the excess scraps as stuffing for quilting the fabrics.